i recently I completed my 15th half marathon (my 10th runDisney half) – disney’s princess half marathon.

last year’s princess half marathon was supposed to be my race. i had prepped & trained for months, trading in my glass slippers for running shoes, in an effort to run a sub 1:40 half marathon.

unfortunately those dreams ended in an asthma attack.

this year i returned to the princess half marathon with a plan for redemption.

i wanted to cross that finish line triumphantly. my entire game plan consisted of the simple phrase “start strong. finish stronger.”

by the time i got to the starting line, race adrenaline was pumping thru my veins. i could feel the excitement in the air, & being surrounded by literally thousands of women who were ready to run – i was ready to have a magical day.

with a wave of her magic wand, fairy god mother started the princess 1/2 marathon, & soon i found myself flying down the road, weaving in & out of runners, dodging tutus, & counting the numbered of costumed runners.

the first several miles flew by. running along the road from epcot to the magic kingdom, i was feeling strong, & running “on pace,” even a wee bit under.

& then it happened.

the rest of the race i definitely wasn’t running happily ever after.

an upset stomach, dehydration & the incredible humidity resulted in a physical type of sickness that usually happens when one has the flu.

that’s right – i spent the next 10 miles puking.

i threw up so many times, that after 20 road side stops, i stopped counting.

the puking in & of itself – was bad, but manageable.

unfortunately, around mile 5, while running inside the magic kindgom, i also twisted my knee (while throwing up, if you want to know everything).

throwing up, a bum knee, dehydration, & the awful humidity - one could say i didn’t exactly have the force with me, as i had hoped.

as you can imagine, suddenly the magic kingdom, didn’t seem all that magical.

i quickly realized that my dream of a new PR (personal record) nor, would my dreams of redemption, would not be coming true, anytime soon.

i immediately became very overwhelmed by emotion as feelings of anger, disappointment, frustration & sadness rushed through my body all at once. i may have shed a tear or two. (although that must have been quite a sight – princess leia… crying?!)

i had prepped & trained for months – this was not the result i had expected.

& i embarrassed to admit that for a moment, i even considered quitting.

sick & hurt i was feeling extremely dis-enchanted & very sorry for myself.

& then suddenly a voice in my head reminded of kelly clarkson’s words…

“what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…stand a little taller.”

right then & there I decided that i could, & would finish the princess half marathon.

for the second year in a row the princess half marathon wouldn’t be my fastest race ever, but it could be one of most fun races ever.

as i ran the rest of the race, i tried to enjoy & see the magic in every mile.

running around the magic kingdom, & then heading back to epcot where we ran thru future world, past spaceship earth, and crossing the finish line definitely was magical. surrounded by costumed runners, disney characters & princesses, spectators galore, gospel choirs, amazing words of inspiration – how can it be anything but magical?

i stopped, visited & took pictures with disney characters on the race course, i high-fived spectators, thanked volunteers & posed for pictures with a few of princess leia’s littlest fans, puking the entire way. paints a nice picture doesn’t it?!

i ran almost the entire race with a smile on my face, & realized that i truly did have the “force” within me.

of course, the part of any race i always look forward to is crossing the finish line…

not to mention collecting my hard-earned bling. (hello my precious!)

without the “force” &  a little inspiration from kelly clarkson, i’m not sure i would have been able to finish.

although running with your best running friends carrie & elise (BRF’s) always helps too.

it’s kind of amazing…

performance-wise, this was definitely one of my worst races ever.

but the magic of disney always seems to prevail. i can honestly say i think it’s practically impossible to have a bad experience while running disney.

i think my biggest “takeaway” from my princess half experience was when i realized that a great race doesn’t have to be dependent on a great time!

each & every time I race a runDisney i am reminded that they are my absolute, most favorite running events.

running through castles & down main streets at walt disney world & disneyland IS always a magical experience.

so if you haven’t run disney yet – do it. that’s not a suggestion, it’s an order.

they really & truly are the happiest races on earth.

princess half marathon {by the numbers}

* total “chip” time 1:45:18
* 24th place out of  3,381 women in my age group
* 124th place overall out of 21,236 women
* 5K split time 23:19, average pace of  7:33 minutes per mile
* 10K split time 47:40, average pace of 7:40 minutes per mile
* 15K split time 1:13: 41, average pace of 7:54 minutes per mile

want to read about my entire princess half marathon weekend? check out my  princess 1/2 meetup & the royal family 5K recaps too.

disclosure: i was invited by runDisney to attend the entire event weekend as media – meaning they were kind enough to cover my hotel expenses at the out-of-this-world animal kingdom lodge & meals.

of course – all thoughts & opinions are 100% my own, because as you already know… i absolutely, totally & completely LOVE runDisney events (especially the princess half marathon).

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confession time…

while i still haven’t developed a fondness for 5K’s in particular – i’m kind of falling in love with runDisney 5K’s… and the mickey & minnie mouse royal family 5K is no exception.

this is one of the few races where the entire family can actually run/ walk/ even stroll together. so it’s not surprising that that race corrals were filled with families, sometimes even multiple generations, often times everyone dressed in costume.

considering that it’s not so much a race, as it is a run – this is the perfect first race, for everyone & anyone (of all ages).

being un-chipped & un-timed (although, there is a clock at every mile & at the finish , runner’s don’t receive an official time), runners can really just concentrate on having fun while running around epcot.

which is perfect, because it’s not everyday, or every race that has you lining up at the race start with princesses & princes of literally all ages, including the most royal couple i know.

seeing how excited all the runners were, especially the kids, reminded me what an amazing effect running (& especially runDisney events) can have on one’s life.

in fact i think each & every runDisney event reminds participants & spectators alike that…

i have to say – their excitement was contagious. i don’t think i’ve been this excited for a race to start in a long, long time.

or maybe it’s just because redheads have more fun?!

whatever the reason – the mickey & minnie mouse royal family 5K was pure magic.

as we wound our way in, through & around epcot, the miles literally flew by.

and everywhere we ran, the crowds went wild, cheering & chanting my name.

okay – that isn’t exactly true, although my little mermaid running costume did make quite a “splash,” although my legs did feel quite wobbly – this being their inaugural race after all.

by the way, do you know why the little mermaid wore “c shells?”

because the “d shells” were too big.

unfortunately, like all good things, the mickey & minnie mouse royal family 5K ultimately came to an end.

luckily there was pretty sweet bling waiting for me at the finish.

and we all know, that in the end, it really is all about the bling – & runDisney races (even the 5Ks) always seem to have the very best medals.

please tell me i’m not the only one who feels this way about race bling?!

disclosure: i was invited by runDisney to attend the entire event weekend as media – meaning they were kind enough to cover my hotel expenses at the out-of-this-world animal kingdom lodge & meals.

of course – all thoughts & opinions are 100% my own, because as you already know… i absolutely, totally & completely LOVE runDisney events.

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over the past year, runDisney’s {amazing} pre-race meetups have become the hot ticket, & the 2013 princess half meetup was no exception…

securing your spot in the official pre-race meetup is much like finding an allusive golden ticket, or getting a reservation at the famed & ultra-private club 33.

prior to the #princesshalfmeetup announcement, twitter was all aflutter.

with eager attendee hopefuls stalking the @runDisney twitter feed, while constantly hitting refresh on the disney parks blog, waiting for their fairtytale dreams to come true.

having finally received my “invitation to the ball,” i of course had to find the perfect dress…

luckily, my fairy god mother had the perfect sparkle athletic skirt, & with a wave of her magic wand & a little bippidi-bobbidi-boo – i was ready to run.

(& fyi – a tiara is the newest must-have running accesory).

dressed (& in very un-cinderella-like fashion, wearing both shoes), i gathered with the other princesses (& even a few princes) under the shadow of space ship earth, as an empty epcot awaited us.

running through a desserted disney park, is always a surreal and magical experience. especially when you “run” into old friends along the way…

after a quick 3 miles through & around epcot and disney’s boardwalk, we headed into biergarten restaurant in the germany pavilion for breakfast and some truly amazing words of inspiration.

training guru jeff galloway, runDisney nutritionist tara gidus, defending princess half champion and back-to-back disneyland half winner rachel booth, two-time paralympic track and field medalist april holmes, and the first female winner of “the biggest loser,” ali vincent were all on hand to inspire & motivate.

which is exactly what they did… i walked away feeling re-newed, re-energized & re-motivated.

when you are surrounded by people who know, understand, & appreciate your love of running – it’s hard not to be inspired. especially when such strong & empowered women are involved. rachel booth, ali vincent & april holmes are the epitome of what the runDisney experience is all about… “runDisney wants you to believe in yourself, believe it CAN happen.”

a few of my favorite princesses, actor sean astin, the ultimate mother runners sarah bowen shea & dimity mcdowell and the fine folks from the new senses – a disney spa were also on hand to make the morning complete .did you know that frozen water bottles, tennis balls, foam rollers & golf balls are ideal for “self-massage?”

as always, runDisney definitely outdid themselves this time.

princesses, fairy godmothers AND sean astin? oh my!

it was the perfect beginning to a fairytale weekend, the perfect once upon a time…

princess half meetup aka #princesshalfmeetup

want to read princess half meetup recaps from other #princesshalf attendees? check out these posts:

* a mom on the run

* disneyeveryday.com

* disney with children

* laurel dawn

* live. do. grow.

* ndeckerrunner

* race every step

* running at disney

* runDisney

* running princess

* sean astin fan

* this runner’s trials

* through heather’s looking glass

* toenails are so overrated

* we run disney

* 2 princesses on the run

did YOU attend the #princesshalfmeetup? let me know! i’ll add your meetup recap to the ever-growing list!

ready to attend the next runDisney race meetup? pay extra special attention to the runDisney facebook page, runDisney twitter account, & disney parks blog a week or two before the next runDisney race. in the past, that’s where they’ve announced the meetups.

my only question is – which disney park would you love to spend the morning running? disneyland? california adventure? epcot? magic kingdom? hollywood studioes? animal kingdom? or what about disneyland paris, tokoyo, or hong kong?

disclosure: i was invited by runDisney to attend the entire event weekend as media – meaning they were kind enough to cover my hotel expenses at the out-of-this-world animal kingdom lodge & meals.

of course – all thoughts & opinions are 100% my own, because as you already know… i absolutely, totally & completely LOVE runDisney events (especially the princess half meetup).

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i’ve often heard if said that runDisney races aren’t where you go to PR (or set a personal record).runDisney races are where you go to create magical memories, running through castles & down main streets at walt disney world & disneyland.

well i’m hear to tell you that you can “have your cake & eat it too.”

you can have magic in every mile AND run your fastest race yet – the two things don’t have to be independent of each other.

what makes me so confident on this fact? i’ve PRed at nearly every runDisney race i’ve ever run.

the 2009 disneyland half was my first race ever, which resulted in an automatic-by-default PR.

the 2010 disneyland half i raced wearing wings, & once again PRed by 13 minutes.

the 2011 disneyland half i raced wearing wings again, & once again PRed. this time by about 17 minutes.

the 2012 tinkerbell half, i PRed, despite by hook, but about 2 minutes.

the 2012 wine & dine half i unknowingly PRed by 2 minutes, even earning myself a fancy 4th place plaque.

& most recently at the 2013 tinkerbell half marathon, where i PRed once again, crossing the finish line at 1:39ish, finally coming in UNDER 1 hour & 40 minutes.

2013 tinkerbell half marathon

exactly one week after running the final step in my 39.3 mile “goofy challenge,” the disney world full marathon, i found myself getting ready to run the 2013 tinkerbell half marathon.

i’m the first to admit that my race prep wasn’t exactly ideal. i don’t think too many “training plans” would include a 39.3 mile race in the taper, working the expo, or having the flu the day before the race.

& yet that’s exactly how i prepared to run the tinkerbell half marathon.

suffice it to say, i didn’t exactly have big expectations for the race. but linda (my goofy challenge running partner) had promised to run the entire race with me – so i knew that we’d have fun (& take pictures), at the very least.

at the starting line i once again “ran into” sean astin…

have i told you what a truly nice guy he is? completely down-to-earth, super-friendly, & such a proud papa (you should have seen how excited he was to show angry julie & i a video of he’s daughters race the day before). i guess it’s true, celebrities really are “just like us.”

after a little pre-race dance party & a photo shoot with my partners in crime carrie & elise, it was time to run…

i have to be honest – considering that the disneyland half was my first race ever, i might be a bit biased, but i’m kind of partial to the disneyland half marathon course (running through angel stadium always overwhelms me with emotion & brings tears to my eyes).

but, the tinkerbell course is definitely special in it’s own little way – & has quickly become another favorite.

the first couple of miles through the parks are always fun. the race starts on disneyland Drive & almost immediately we enter disney’s california adventure. we ran through the hollywood backlot along hollywood boulevard, raced down route 66 into cars land, and wound around paradise bay.

entering disneyland, we ran down main street U.S.A. (which was filled with spectators & cheering squads), passing sleeping beauty’s castle, pixie hollow, before we made our way around the rivers of america. after exiting the disneyland park, we ran through downtown disney, by the disneyland hotel (& the always-fabulous red hat society cheer squad).

just about mile 6, we left the disneyland resort area & headed out to explore the city of anaheim.  runDisney describes the remainder of the course saying ”runners will race through the enchanting, historic neighborhoods of downtown anaheim, down the anaheim center street promenade and past anaheim ice on their way towards city hall. before returning to the disneyland resort runners make their way past the anaheim gardenwalk, and then it’s time for their “fairy”-tale finish near disney’s paradise pier hotel.”

downtown anaheim  really is enchanting & the historic neighborhoods are charming  – although there didn’t seem to be as many  spectators, or entertainment that i’ve come to know & love from a typical runDisney event (but considering how cold it was – had i not been racing, i don’t think i would have gotten out of my warm & cozy bed either).

crossing that finish line sub 1:40, i couldn’t help but jump in the air – i was filled with so much joy. hanging the tinkerbell medal, & then the coast to coast medal around my neck was an emotionally overwhelming experience – i couldn’t help but hug the volunteer.

knowing that i had just ran my personal best, one week after completing the 39.3 goofy challenge during wdw marathon weekend was literally a dream come true.

all i can say is… i really & truly loved every single minute of the race, & will definitely be racing once again next year

the truly magical 6 miles we ran inside the parks, exploring the charming streets of downtown anaheim, & the super-fabulous-totally-amazing-bright-and-shiny bling definitely makes this a race to remember.

plus, there is always something special & empowering about running a race with 12,000 other women.
  

2013 tinkerbell half marathon by the numbers:

* total chip time 1:39:43, with a pace of 7:36 minutes per mile (new PR)
* 8th place out of 1.925  women in my age group
* 41st place out of  10,558 women
* 5K split time 23:38
* 10K split 47:13
* 15K split 1:11:30
* runDisney “coast to coast” medal achieved in just one week

i don’t know what it is – the energy, the spectators, the entertainment, the pixie dust? somehow runDisney races always prove to be the most fun & often time my fastest races i run all year. i’d definitely say that runDisney races bring out the “best” in everyone.

i guess it’s true what they say, there is something truly magical about running through castles & down main streets at walt disney world & disneyland.

so if you haven’t run disney yet – do it. whether it’s your first race, or your tenth, you’re sure to have a magical time.

want to read more about my runDisney tinkerbell half  marathon weekend adventures? be sure to check out my #tinkhalfmeetup & neverland 5K recaps.

disclosure: i was invited by runDisney to attend the entire event weekend as media – meaning they were kind enough to cover my hotel expenses at the fabulous grand californian.

of course – all thoughts & opinions are 100% my own, because as you already know… i absolutely, totally & completely LOVE runDisney events.

 

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one week after running the walt disney world half marathon, i found myself “toeing” the start line of the runDisney neverland 5K inside disneyland.

now typically i’m not a huge fan of 5K’s – the thought of an all-out-sprint for 3.1 miles just isn’t my idea of a good time. trust me when i say, given the choice i’d run a half marathon over a 5K any day of the week. but the neverland 5K is one of the few exceptions to that rule.

first of all it’s un-timed. yes! you read that correctly… all runDisney 5K’s are un-timed “fun runs.”  don’t get me wrong – there is a clock at the finish line, but there aren’t any official “timing chips” or results.

it’s a “family” race  - meaning the entire family can “run,” or at least pushed in a stroller, no matter their age.

while some might “scoff” at the idea of an un-time “race,” i for one LOVED it!  knowing that it was un-timed, the stress of having to sprint  or race the entire run is lifted off my shoulders, & i can just enjoy the race – not something i do very often.

& enjoy it i did. the neverland 5K was the perfect excuse to break out my red & white polka dot sparkle athletic/ team sparkle skirt, my sparkle minnie ears, & my brand-spanking-new-limited-edition-runDisney-minnie-mouse-inspired-new-balance-shoes.

anyways, i digressed… so let’s talk about the second reason why the neverland 5K is one of the few exceptions to my “5K rule” – pure race enjoyment.

the entire race, all 3.1 miles are ran entirely inside disneyland & disney’s california adventure parks.

the race appropriately started just outside of pixie hollow, after a tink fly-by & a sprinkling of pixie dust on the racers.

we ran past the matterhorn & it’s a small world, through the disneyland back lots, toon town, right past fantasy land, big thunder mountain, on thru new orleans square & even more disneyland back lots, before heading into disney’s california adventure.

there we ran past the hollywood tower or terror, the carthay circle restaurant & lounge, through bug’s land, cars land,  around the “lagoon” and past california screamin’ before crossing the finish line.

while i always love running through any part of the disney parks, i have to admit that entering cars land always makes me tear up – the neon is just so incredibly beautiful.

but, most of all – i enjoy the back lots. maybe it’s the disney nerd in me, but i get a kick of seeing what happens “behind the scenes.”

have i mentioned yet that i may have “run” into sean astin along the way?

he was insistent on taking lots of pictures with me, so i agreed to run the entire 5K with him. thanks to the on-course photographers he now has lots of photographic memories of our “time” together.

did you notice? sean astin is rocking a sparkle athletic/ team sparkle skirt & racing wings. i have to admit i’m pretty dang excited that he “joined” the team.

speaking of  sean astin… if you’re wondering why he joined nearly 12,000 mostly women runners for the tinkerbell half marathon weekend, why don’t you let him tell you in his own words in this runDisney video. (& considering he’s happily married with 3 daughters of his own, i’m guessing it sin’t to “pick up on chicks.”) i’m guessing he’s realized the truth to the statement “why run when you can fly.”

disclosure: i was invited by runDisney to attend the entire event weekend as media – meaning they were kind enough to cover my hotel expenses at the fabulous grand californian.

of course – all thoughts & opinions are 100% my own, because as you already know… i absolutely, totally & completely LOVE runDisney events.

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